The Enticing Proposal

Chapter Twenty-Six - It Hurts So Much

Giovanni frowned the moment he entered the door. All of Kira's belongings were by the end of the staircase. The further he walked inside the house, a feeling came over him. Something wasn't right and that was confirmed when he saw Kira sitting on the couch with one of her legs crossed.

"Kira?"

He saw her shoulders go stiff as he rounded the couch. His frown tipped deeper when he saw how red her eyes were. He didn't hesitate to sit down next to her and grab hold of her hand.

"What happened, Kira?"

Kira kindly pulled her hand away from his touch, shifting to create some space between them. Giovanni didn't like the action but he knew he had some explaining to do because of last night.

"Where were you last night? I called you and you didn't answer." Her words came out softly while staring straight ahead.

"I had left my phone back at the office before going to meet with Joshua."

"The family lawyer? Why did you have to go see him?" One of Kira's brows raised in question as she turned her head to face him.

She watched as a look crossed his face, his jaw clenching on both sides. Something serious was happening with him but Kira already knew that. Courtesy of news reporters.

"I have to tell you something but you have to promise to hear me out before anything." The worry in his tone was clear as day.

"What is it?" Kira nods, not leaving without an explanation. She was going to hear him out but her stay depends on what's his part of the story.

"Yesterday, you remember me getting a call from my assistant?" When she nods, he continued. "Leah came to see me about her dream home."

"What? Why would she come and see you?" Why not someone else?

Giovanni sighed, never breaking eye contact with her. He wanted her to know that everything that he was about to say was going to be pure honesty.

"Leah was always known to be a person to get what they want. No doubt that she wanted to try and squeeze her way back into my life."

"But she did, Giovanni." Kira ran fingers through her hair. "You allowed yourself to help her find whatever home she was looking for when you should have offered help from somebody else at your firm. Whenever you told her you'd help, you made her believe that she can get anything from you and now she's pregnant and claiming it's your baby."

"How do you know that?" He questioned, anger rising within him.

"It's all over the news, Giovanni. They know all about your secret with her and I'm being made a fool. I'm the one being questioned for even trusting a man that has played his cards and got with almost half of these women here in Phoenix."

Giovanni could see every ounce of emotion Kira was giving off. She was angry, hurt, and sad. The look of betrayal didn't sit right with him at all.

"Kira-"

"It's a wake-up call." She stood to her feet, creating more space between them. Giovanni stood as well, looking at her beyond worried.

"What do you mean?"

Not saying anything, Kira walked around the coffee table to the couch on the other side. She grabbed the file that rested on the couch and handed it to him. Giovanni opened the file and his heart skipped a beat at the familiar sight of Kira's signature and the black ink of the contract.

"I know the arrangement between us has lasted almost six months but I think we need to go back to what we know."

"Kira, we both signed an agreement. A year of marriage." His grip on the file tightened.